Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Personal Experiences => Topic started by: Southsea Belle on January 22, 2018, 07:04:35 PM
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Following my initial posts in the introductions this is how things now stand.
If only I'd just taken a deep breath and put up with the flushes. I feel so much worse now than I did before my doctor decided to send me down the Prozac route.
Apparantly because my periods have stopped (about a year ago give or take) then flushes should be getting better not worse and are therefore probably something else.
Blood tests today for amongst other things, thyroid, iron, liver and a urine test to look for a protein indicative of Myeloma (think that's the right one). Says probably not that but is she's fishing to find an answer.
Now face the agony of waiting for results which she will give me in a telephone call on 1st.
It was such a low dose of prozac, 10mg, for just three weeks, can I still feeling the bad effects of it even now? Or do I just write a bucket list.
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My flushes got worse 3 years after my last period!
I have just gone through all those tests too and an endoscopy . All came back fine so my symptoms must be menopause !!!!!!
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Hello Southsea Belle.
Ah bless her, your GP is thorough but she really doesn't understand the menopause at all!
Many of my symptoms worsened after my last period and I still have daily flushing and I'm seven years post. I don't blame your doctor however as one GP told me that everything improves after three years but that was when I felt worse and went on HRT. It may also help you to know that I recently had the same set of blood tests and everything was normal except for low iron reserves so it's perfectly possible to be physically well but still feel cr@p from the menopause.
I accept that it's difficult but try not to worry. This can be a tough time of life and our understandable health anxiety doesn't help.
Take care.
K.
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Today has been a good day. I only had the tremors for about 4 hours....from waking at 5 am. I have managed to do Asda, Walk the Dog....I actually found myself slowing down, pulling up my shoulders and thinking how much I was enjoying the walk....and cooked the dinner.
On top of this I have a stinking cold. I've never had a cold feel so good.
But that's been today, and tomorrow is another day.
Each days as it comes I think.
I think a lot of my problem with the tremors is trying to fight them and go back to sleep. It doesn't work. I don't sleep and I continue to shake inside. Perhaps I should simply get up, get dressed and get on.
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Share the bucket list? As long as it doesn't involve leaving the UK, mine is stimeied by anxiety! so any day out or nights aware, are a bonus for me.
Your GP doesn't have much clue about menopause by the sound of it, where does she think myeloma fits in ? Despite Dr Currie and the British Menopause Association trying to educate GPs, it obviously ain't working! I don't know who information is being provided to GP Surgeries but .........
Have a broswse. Make notes. Some ladies find that keeping a mood/food/symptom diary useful to get an idea as to any patterns emerging. Which symptom would you like to ease first?
As oestrogen levels drop the body may become dry: skin, nostrils, deep in the ears, vagina - do read the atrophy threads on here, in case ;-). Also, muscles may become lax = aches and pains. The Change doesn't come alone >:( ::)
Prozac made me :cuss: Some ladies find that HRT helps symptoms, but that they require an anti-depressant and/or an anti-anxiety medication along side.
My anxiety was so bad I would shake enough to move the bed :'(. I take an AD, Propranolol to ease anxiety surges as well as an anti-anxiety emergency pill 'as necessary'.
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Oh - how's the weather down South ??? ;)
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Down South isn't exactly sunny right now....wet and windy.
The Myeloma (which she described as a "funny little cancer". Funny???? Since when has any cancer been funny?) thinking comes from the fact that the night sweats didn't get really bad until after I'd stopped bleeding.....and that didn't fit in with the 'normal' pattern of things. And whatever diagnostic tool she was typing my symptoms into came up with that as a suggestion. I kid you not.
On the upside, apart from the stinking cold and almost slicing the top of my finger off....today is another decent day for me. The tremors upon waking were not as severe. I really think, even the relatively small amount of, and time I was on, the prozac, has been responsible for a lot more than, "you might feel a little bit icky" for a few days at first! And hasn't left my system as quickly as I was told it would.
Seriously thinking of changing surgeries....need to shop around....cheer myself up by reminding myself that one day my current GP will go through all this herself. Laughs wickedly! ;D
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:clapping:
You'll fit right in ........... >laughing wickedly with you< :rofl:
She really has no idea by the sounds of it!
Menopause symptoms are reliably un-reliable! and really do vary between each one of us. Her time will come :whist: but in the meantime, although she is doing various tests, you have not had the best start with sorting your symptoms :bang:
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OMG why oh why aren't these GPs having their CPD training especially around menopause.... it's so frustrating. I was given Prozac many years ago as I was having a tough time and it caused such anxiety I stopped it. Horrible stuff I didn't even get eye contact from the gp who prescribed it. Needless to say I changed GP and I'd be doing the same if I was you. Ask around for a gp surgery who has someone who specialises in women's health/menopause. You might get lucky. Hope you feel better soon and good luck x
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Optimist - maybe send that query to Dr Currie and the British Menopause what-ever-they are? Of course, knowledge is 'only guidelines' >:( If I had the energy and didn't suffer anxiety attacks, I would arrange a Menopause March to No10!!!
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You can read about the work of the British Menopause SOCIETY (!) here: https://thebms.org.uk/ This tells you what they are doing re education. When you think of how many doctors there are then it's obviously going to take time. There is also the RCOG (Google it!) and also nursing organisations (don't know about these!), Women's Health Concern, as well as individual gynaes and prominent individuals too.
There is a lot going on but it won't happen overnight. Any pressure anyone can put anywhere will all add to the movement for CHANGE ::) re attitudes and knowledge around menopause.
Southsea Belle - I am horrified by what you say about your doc! Yes time to change or at least consult a different one in the practice?
Hurdity x
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I've been on here for over 7 years and nowt seems to change ...... ladies are still complaining of the same issues regardless of what ever Dr Currie or the BMS is suggesting that they are 'teaching' GPs. :-\. Otherwise, this Forum would no longer be required.
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I'm sick of menopause to be honest, it interferes with everything and I constantly think about it, how can I live the rest of my life like this?? I'm only 22! I asked my doctor how long will it last and he said I don't know, no one knows how long, it's different for everyone 🙄🙄
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SS1995 you are so young! No idea of your background but would maybe suggest some counselling to help you through this time. At least us older ladies have had some life before this sets in.
CBT is supposed to work well maybe ask your GP.
CLKD I totally agree, this is taking too long and although I agree Hurdity there are a lot of GPs to get around the newer ones coming out into practice are obviously not getting the correct information. Any GPs are supposed to follow NICE guidelines which they obviously do not as still women are being offered blood tests and antidepressants and being told they're depressed instead of menopausal. The learning is not getting to the right people and that's why too many women are still suffering.
It's frustrating and actually detrimental to women's health. I really admire the likes of Dr Currie and others like her who are really trying to get the word out to make the difference but it's still a battle.
I'm thinking of starting up a menopause support group at work, as a predominant ageing women's workforce and the sickness rates are still not being recognised and god forbid you mention the “elephant†in the room...MENOPAUSE!!! Women need to be better supported by their work and their GPs.
Rant over 😂🤣😊 let me know when you're getting that March up CLKD ...I'll be there beside you 👍🏼
I'll look at those links Hurdity and maybe start a thread asking what women on here feel they need from their workplace to feel supported.
Let's start this revolution haha (I'm having flashbacks of Wolfie...â€come the revolution...â€) 😂😁
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:bang: don't get me started on NICE Guidelines. They are what it says, 'guidelines'. I've had recent experience about statins which completely contradicts what NICE recommends.
Back to the question - if I didn't have anxiety I would be arranging that MARCH ........ perhaps starting with Dr Currie for discussion about how to proceed then to the BMS B4 No 10? Will start the charabanc ;-)
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As well as being active on this forum, what we could be doing on the ground is each and every one of us could take leaflets to our GP surgery (provided they will take them) about menopause. If they are produced through NHS or approved medical societies I presume they would find a place for them.
The problem is getting hold of them. Maybe some exist already? MM produces posters and small postcard sized info things to direct people to this site - which is good - but we need hard copies. I'm not going to print them all out ( on my dodgy printer). Most info sheets and factsheets are for individual download.
Anyone know of where we can get hold of some - that way we could reach a lot of GP surgeries especially if we put the supplier's address on this forum.....
Southsea Belle - how are you doing? - You've fired us all up!
Hurdity x
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Sorry, I'm not ignoring you. I've just not got much to say at the moment. Nursing a stinking cold on top of everything else. However, despite that and the rain I've been getting out a bit with the dog and providing I'm not feeling too shaky, I enjoy it.
I've had a sneaky peek at my blood test results online and most are fine. The one's looking at Vitamin B12, iron and stuff (hope I'm making sense) is marked as Abnormal and the immunoglobulin (?) one is marked as borderline and a bit further down before a list of figures and wotnot it says, "Immunoglobulin level Results of doubtful significance". Whatever that means.
The urine test looking for the 'suspect' protein isn't back yet.
Blood pressure to be taken on Tuesday and Doctor is calling on Thursday. Once I hear what she has to say then I shall start making decisions about changing doctors or not. There is another doctor at the practice I really like, a male doctor, who if he's as understanding about 'wimminz thingz' as he has been about other stuff on when I've been lucky enough to see him, then I want him. (Not in the Biblical sense I hasten to add) His wife is at another practice nearby and I have heard really good things about her, might well be the move I need.
The irony is, the really bad nightsweats have subsided somewhat and flushes during the day have let up a bit too....whether that lasts or not....we shall see. I'm still waiting for the fridge to ding after I've put baked beans in the microwave and can't work out why the toaster doesn't boil.
I still wake up with really bad trembling but I cope with it better, simply because I now know (thank you, ladies) that I'm not the only one.
I don't think I mentioned that I am Type 2 diabetic. Under control, but could do a bit better.
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Diabetes can be upset by menopause >:(
Maybe make a list when you speak to the GP? Is the BP being taken at home because lots of people suffer White Coat Syndrome which may give false readings ;)
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No, I need to go to the surgery for my BP. It's quite a hike too.
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The walk will do you good ;-)
We bought a home BP test kit as Himself has WCS - I don't measure on it at all :D
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Hello. I haven't been actively participating on the forum for awhile but pop in and read now and then. I just wanted to share with you how I relate to this. Although my path has been a little different, it's been one step forward and a lot of steps back. I was knocked out of balance (worse than from the menopause already) by a change up of my thyroid med, then I had a bad time with hrt. Now that all that is sorted, after a year of absolute hell followed by a year of coming back to normal, my flushes and most of my menopause symptoms are done, but I'm left with greater anxiety than I ever could have imagined.
The part you need to know, I've recently learned in researching antidepressants because my doctor recently prescribed one to me. Prozac has a long half-life. It should take awhile for it to clear your system. The positive in that, for those that don't have the experience you are having, is that withdrawal from the drug is not so bad, as it gradually lessens in the body. It looks like that's not a positive in your case. I imagine that's why you're still feeling bad from it and that with more time you'll come back to normal.
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Thank you for your reassurance. I do feel better each day. Today, I not only walked to dog, I also cooked dinner! And don't feel at all wiped out by it. Rotten cold notwithstanding.
I'm not taking anything for granted though. I still have to wake up and get through the trembling tomorrow.
Whilst I can't deny the help Prozac has given many, as far as I'm concerned, it's poison and I'll never look at it as anything else.
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Don't do too much on the 'better' days ;). Learning to pace myself was Hard Work!
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I understand. But it feels so good to have a better day. I just want to make the most of it. After all, if it does turn out to be Myeloma then....no! Not going there. Sorry.
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When do you get those results Southsea Belle ?
I often stand still when I have a good day: drinking it in ;-)
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I've seen the blood test results online, but the urine test looking for the 'nasty' protein isn't showing yet. I think the Doctor said it could be up to 10 days (taken on 23rd) for that one. Telephone consultation on Thursday, so probably then.
I'm being a bit paranoid and have managed to convince myself that the reason they aren't online is because it's bad news and being withheld.
I do try not to think about it but it's not easy to ignore a potential death sentence.
Other than that, today has been OK. A trip into town without a single flush.....then as soon as I got home and sat down....whoosh!
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However: get that thought out of your head ;-). Some tests take longer to process than others. Some are returned within 24 hours, some need reporting no B4 the results are let go ............
How's your day been so far?
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Would you believe, I just typed a whole load and bloomin' deleted it instead of posting it! :cuss:
So, until that point, my day (thank you for asking btw) has been remarkably OK. :gym: So much so that I think the remnants of that vile poison prozac have finally left the building. :banana: Fingers crossed.
I don't ever want to go back to where they took me. Even the underside of a bus seemed a better place. It's OK, not going there. I promise!
Still flushing but even they are tolerable now compared to the hell those damned pills took me to! :diablo:
Night sweats, a year after I stopped bleeding, were the reason my doctor decided to go fishing for the 'nasty' protein as according to her text books it wasn't normal menopause-wise. The irony is, they have since subsided significantly. For now at least.
Blood pressure reading tomorrow. Then I am going to treat myself to a guilty pleasure....a wander around B&Q to find a rug....I bl**dy love that place. Goodness only knows why though. ;D
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Better than the Swedish store perhaps ;D where I had 1 trip and where my Dear Husband has never set foot. Apparently they do a mean breakfast though ............ give me B&Q any day ;).
I get my decorationing ideas around the home from 'escape to the country' and 'homes under the hammer' :D .........
I doubt whether you deleted your post, I expect it was that strange woman ;-) (will bump thread)
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Although I have 4 Ikea fold up dining chairs (bought online) I have never ever stepped foot in the place. I sometimes wonder if I'm missing out on something. Apart from the meatballs, probably not.
Now, that's just reminded me, I once happened upon an Ikea promotions van in a car park.....it was set up like a mobile room.....they had a little competition running and I won a little table lamp.
Our B&Q has a nice little coffee shop that does a mean bacon roll.
I'm 'off' programmes like that for the time being. So much needs doing to our house. Still doing it up after 20 years. A year ago, we'd made really good progress until the downstairs got flooded and we had to wait six months for it all to dry out before the insurance company repaired it. It was done just in time for Xmas. So the work we planned for last year got abandoned. Maybe this year, and then again, maybe I'll win the lottery....... ;D
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Oh how awful to be flooded, it's the mess as well as the smell. OK now?
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Just to let you know I spent 4 hours in ikea yesterday with other half who was pained by the experience and did a lot of sitting down 😂 I on the other hand was in ikea heaven!! I could actually live there! I love their food and free tea! I love walking around and I have to look at everything, I open every draw in each kitchen and every fridge and I sit on every sofa. I actually bought a sofa bed with chaise yesterday so I really was in ikea heaven 🤗. Give it a try lol x
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What stopped you buying cushions to match ;)
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Yes, the flood is all cleared up now. One or two niggly bits that are outstanding and being ignored. (Could be a metaphore for my menopausal life!) To be honest if they ignore it much longer I'll just get someone out to fix it. Not worth the stress and hassle of having to keep calling the insurance people who seem satisfied the job is finished. They've been very good on the whole.
Another disaster however, the aforementioned B&Q Bacon butties are no more :'( They've closed the café down! The swines! But I found a rug. Not really what I wanted but suits the purpose. Needed something non-slippy at the bottom of the kitchen stairs to stop the dog leaping down the last few and sliding into the wall. He'll still leap but won't go sliding and more to the point nobody human will slip either. Might fall but won't slip. All good. Dog is break-dancing on it at the moment. It means he likes it, I think.
Blood pressure 150 / 60 whatever that means.
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Optimist... I have no background what so ever, that's the frustrating thing, they never found anything to be the cause, I just want something to blame! I have been to counselling but the problem with me is before the menopause I didn't discuss my feelings or anything. I think I went to counselling far too early after diagnosis and I hadn't processed it yet. Has anyone had CBT before?
Thanks in advance
Xx
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Yep. Did nowt for me ::)
Break-dancing :scottie: ;D
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I've been feeling so much better these past few days. Personally, I reckon the vicious effects of the prozac kind of put my other symptoms into perspective a bit. They've been bad but nothing ever came close to what that poisonous stuff did to me.
Went on a retail therapy trip with my sister yesterday and whilst I felt warm now and again I didn't have a single hot flush. Had one when I got home though. I can cope with that.
Still getting the early morning shakes but not finding them so scary. Doing my best to keep my temper in check...apart from the man in the Post Office and he deserved it!
The 'nasty' protein test results aren't back yet! I asked the doctor what she was expecting and she said, "taking the blood results into /ccount, probably nothing, just crossing the tees and dotting the eyes." So still a bit on the dark on that one.
In the middle more bloods next week, Vitain B12 is low so looking for pernicious anaemia and celiac disease. ??????
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Will you have any blood left at the end of all this ::) - at least you'll know what you ain't got ....... then your GP can concentrate on menopause symptoms.
Do tell about the man in the Post Office - different thread maybe ;)
Or may it was That Strange Woman who spoke to him [did you read the thread yet?] :whist:
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No, certainly nothing to do with the strange woman. It was all his own doing.
I'll write it down in a bit.
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All ears ;)
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Dancing the happy dance today.....the 'nasty' protein test results are back....NEGATIVE! Woohoo! :spin:
Just the Vitamin B12 ones to do now and then I can get back to just being menopausal.:hotflash:
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Good news. I'm still waiting for results of my 24 hr urine test....
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Wonder what your GP will say to the good results! Hopefully she will apologise for putting your through lots of worry, I would lay it on THICK at my next visit ;)
:bouncing:
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She signed the text I got with the results with "kind regards". I think that was probably automated though.
Will be speaking to her on the phone next week. In the meantime I had my bloods taken today and the phlebotomist is bit of a gossip and a right laugh with it. She was training a trainee doctor today. Nice girl. Asked if I was happy to talk about why I was having blood taken.
So I told her all about it and how it had all made me feel etc. It won't achieve anything other than, hopefully, plant a seed in her trainee doctor head about listening being just as important, if not more so, than what the textbooks say.
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Let us know how you get on!
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I am suffering from anxiety so badly that I can hardly function at work for fear of making a mistake. My manager has referred me to the Occ Health team (I work for the NHS) and at the moment I am waiting to be seen. Despite being on HRT patches and the hot flushes have all but gone, they have left me shaking with fright. Some days I sit at my desk paralysed with fear. THIS ISN'T ME!! I used to be so bold and confident but now I feel like giving up. I have decided to change jobs as I really feel like I am floundering as I can't cope with the pressure in this role. There is so little support out there for the menopause it beggars belief.
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Helen: Do you feel supported in your NHS role?
If you have that much fear then maybe an anti-anxiety medication would be worth trying. Either on a daily basis and/or with an 'as necessary' Valiumtype pill. Without my 'go to' pill I wouldn't be here.
You have come to the right place. Browse round.
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CLKD - My manager is very understanding and the concern I have is this is not limitless. I get it that I have to be at work and do what they pay me to do but I will take your advice and speak to my GP about this anxiety. Lack of sleep ain't helping either!
Thank you for your reply....Sometimes just 'talking' to someone who has been through it guides you towards the light!
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Getting appropriate treatment to ease anxiety will give you breathing space. Without my medication I wouldn't be here.
Some ladies require HRT and ADs/anti-anxiety treatments to run alongside. The Change doesn't come alone!
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Hi Helen J. Just wanted to say that I empathise with your posts. About a year ago just after when my period cycles started changing I was hit my crippling anxiety, fear, feeling of not being ' me', terrible insomnia. Saw countless GPs, tried CBT, HRT looking for a magic pill to get the ' old ' me back. I still have bad health anxiety but the terrible out of control feeling has gone. For me it was time and realising that things pass. I took proprananol for around 6 months which really helped calm the physical symptoms and took a sleeping pill for a month to defog my exhausted brain. But it will pass. I didn't believe it at the time. I thought I was going crazy!
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Yes just want to empathize. The crippling anxiety is really horrible. I take valerina & that does seem to take the edge off but if you are in a stressful situation it can just make it so much worse. I had a health scare a couple of weeks ago & worrying over that took the anxiety to another level.
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Hi! Sorry for having your meno so young! I'm older than you and diagnosed with POF a year ago. Can I ask you for how long can we take hrt? My gyn said that risks don't apply to us and it's up to me, I feel so good on hrt and I want it for life. :)